tumblers in what order?

[atariman2002]

hi,

i have constructed my first pick and tension wrench.


i have successfully picked a padlock but am wondering with other locks where do you start with the pick?


suppose what i am trying to say is do i pick the first tumbler or do you start from way at the back and move outwards towards the opening of the lock?


forgive the newbie approach.................couldnt find a more easier way to ask


thanks


great work with the site.........most informative forum i have joined yet

[melvin2001]

basic picking theory says yes start from the back work to the front. although this is good advice in practice you will find it works for some locks and not all. so yeah... start with that, and if it doesn't work try something else.

the most important part of picking isn't being able to follow directions, its about learning your own style and learning to feel what the lock is doing for yourself.

now go young grasshopper and pick the world... or whatever.

[jasontimmer]

generally, try to find the pin that is binding the most. this is not necessarily the first pin. push up with the pick on each pin, and see which offers the most resistance. this is probably the pin you want to pick first. sometimes, you'll pick a pin, go on to the next, and find that the first pin has dropped again. don't be discouraged. just lift it again. also, try other techniques such as raking. learn to "feel" the pins and visualize what's happening inside the lock. most of all, have fun doing it or you'll get frustrated.

[atariman2002]

sincere thanks almight grandmaster lockcracker,



i have no real reason to pick locks apart from the last weeks situation.



i locked all our house keys, cars keys etc inside with no spares hidden anywhere

we called a locksmith to come over and he had his little lockpicking kit.


it took him about 20 seconds and whammo he was in


since then the bug has bit me and i thought it would be a fun hobby and skill to have in the event that your somewhere without keys


from now on i will have a spare set around.


thanks

[What]

in most locks the order will be determined by which pin binds on the shear line first.

[Jace_Arcage]

I thought my question fit under this thread, so I'll ask here.

After you find the pin that is binding the most and you get it set, should you start moving to the back of the lock or to the front?

[UWSDWF]

to the next pin that binds the most

[Kaotik]

I'll continue where UWSDWF left off. Continue with the next pin that binds most and so on, this will be the picking order of that particular lock.

Before you know it the cylinder give loose and open.

[Mememe]

when looking for the next pin that binds start from the back first on older locks. The reason is that on older locks the front pins will have more wear & tear than the back pins.

Think about it, every time you push in a key on a 5 pin lock the 1st pin is moved 5 times, the 2nd is moved 4 times, etc. After a while the front pins are looser than the back pins causing the back pins to bind first under tension/

[Kaotik]

I believe the picking order is determined by the tolerances during the manufactoring of the lock and not the wearing down of the springs from constant compression. Though it may work that way on some locks.

I could be wrong, cause i've never come across that scenario, even on older locks.

[Bud Wiser]

I think it's worth mentioning that you may not always be able to find which pin binds most next. Usually the first two are the easiest, but then after that it's not as easy, and on some locks even finding the first pin is not so easy some times. In that case it's a good idea to follow a systematic pattern. In that case you can follow the back to front suggestion, and on some locks even the front to back. These are the locks that will really test your patience